This will involve a food court debut by the human megaphone, aka the “People’s Mic.” From the OA web page description:

The flash-mob will be start [sic] at Crossgates Mall food court where a “People’s Mic” will be held, then participates [sic] will disperse and reconvene at Santa Claus where another “People’s Mic” will be held. The mob will then leave Crossgates and travel to Colonie Center food court where there will be another “Peoples Mic.”

In the interest of maintaining the element of surprise exact times will be released in the near future.

“Reconvene at Santa Claus” — priceless.

The project has launched its own Facebook page. Albany Common Council member Anton Konev, who works as a legislative aide to Assembly member Peter Rivera, has signed up on the Facebook page as a participant.

The problem of how to distribute the flash mob’s start time points up a central problem with social media organizing — you can’t let it out to anyone without letting it out to everyone, as long as anyone at Crossgates security knows how to set up a fake online identity.

CNBC has reported on efforts to stage other Occupy Black Friday events nationwide.

Update: In what’s either a slow unfurling of a grand design or an adjustment to concerns that a demonstration that disrupts a child’s visit to Santa might be, uh, strategically unwise, the Occupy Black Friday page on Facebook devoted to the Crossgates/Colonie event was retooled at some point overnight. Also, the group has announced specific times for the appearances.

The Business Review reported this morningthat Crossgates isn’t planning to amp up security beyond what they’ve already set up for Black Friday, and is “cautiously optimistic” that the group will be respectful of shoppers.

The group now plans nothing more than lightly satiric caroling:

Occupy Black Friday is an attempt at displaying the corporate perversion of the “Holiday Season” and asking the question, why? We will accomplish this through a light hearted and unobtrusive Christmas carol flash mob.

The flash mob will start at Colonie Center food court at 11am where participants are asked to blend in with shoppers and try not to, in any way, prevent the flow of traffic. At 11am a “Mic Check” will be called. When participants hear this they will repeat “Mic Check”. This will be done once more, then participants will sing Jingle Bells followed by God Rest Ye Frantic Shoppers . (lyrics below) After the conclusion of the final carol participants will then blend back in with shoppers and “reconvene at Santa Claus” where the above will be repeated.

After Colonie Center, we will be traveling to Crossgates Mall where at 1pm we will be repeating the same action in the food court and at Santa. We will also be flash mobbing both malls again at 7pm Colonie Center and 9pm Crossgates.

The point of this flash mob is NOT to be a nuisance, be destructive, prevent anyone from doing their job or go about their day. Please comply with any directives by mall security in a polite and inoffensive manner. If participants see someone being asked to leave by mall security please continue singing until you are asked to leave. Above all BE POLITE, the people working and shopping in the mall are the 99% too!

Jingle Bells

Jingle bells, jingle bells,
Jingle all the way.
Oh! what fun it is to ride
In a one-horse open sleigh.
Jingle bells, jingle bells,
Jingle all the way;

Oh! what fun it is to ride
In a one-horse open sleigh.
Dashing through the snow
In a one-horse open sleigh
O’er the fields we go
Laughing all the way
Bells on bobtail ring
Making spirits bright
What fun it is to laugh and sing
A sleighing song tonight!

Jingle bells, jingle bells,
Jingle all the way.
Oh! what fun it is to ride
In a one-horse open sleigh.
Jingle bells, jingle bells,
Jingle all the way;
Oh! what fun it is to ride
In a one-horse open sleigh.

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